The Committee does not recognize any neighborhood boundaries or neutral zones but does recognize that elementary schools are not evenly spaced throughout the district. Once a student is placed in his/her school, he/she is entitled to remain at that school for the duration of his/her elementary experience.

Criteria for determining school assignment will be based on the following factors, with consideration given to yearly enrollment numbers as well as each unique student cohort

• Need for special programs and/or facilities including, but not limited to, English Language Learning and special education

• Equity of class size across the district by grade level

• Timeliness of registration (on-time, late, rolling)

• Family preference including presence of siblings in the school

• Proximity of the child(ren)’s residence to the preferred school(s) and proximity of the child(ren)’s residence to each of the elementary schools

Due consideration will also be given to equity of staff load, contractual agreements, health and safety standards, and any other factors that might impact placement decisions.

School assignment notifications will be made as soon as possible following registration so that families can best prepare for integration into their new school home(s).

MSC Informational Review: 8/25/20

MSC First Vote:  9/8/20
MSC Second Vote: 9/22/20

WAIT LIST PROCESS:

In the event a child is not placed in their first choice school during the initial school assignment, the child’s name will be placed on a wait list for that school. Late registrants will be placed on the wait list in the order that they register, but after the children with on time registrations who did not receive placement at their first choice school.

If seats open at a particular school, parents of wait-listed children will be notified in order and can make a decision regarding school placement accordingly. Parents may request removal of their child’s name from the waitlist at any time by notifying the Superintendent.

Because of the movement of students during the summer, the placement of students from the waitlist will continue throughout the summer, but will not continue beyond November 1st.

APPEALS PROCESS:

For those families for whom the assigned school presents a hardship, an appeals process is available. The appeals process will not begin until after most of the placements are assigned, as determined by the Superintendent. The appealing parent will notify the Superintendent’s office in writing explaining the hardship caused by the school assignment. An Appeals Board, consisting of at least one Central Office Administrator, and two Principals who are not at the schools in question, will review all appeals. During the appeal, the students will remain on the waitlist for their first choice school and placement may be made through that avenue as well.

All students will be notified of the appeals board’s decision as soon as possible, and notification will always occur at least two weeks before the start of the school year.

Rev. 5.2015